Lee had 128 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception for the Cowboys in 2015

Published Jan 28, 2016 at 2:21 PM

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It was a long, twisted road to Hawaii for Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee, but now that he’s there, Lee hopes he can build on his first ever Pro Bowl campaign.

Since shortly after Lee came into the league as a second round pick out of Penn State in 2010, he’s been widely viewed as a highly talented hard luck case, and a would-be Pro Bowler—“would be” if he could just stay on the field. He did that in 2015, for 14 games anyway, just one shy of his career best, and then the call came this week.

Lee was named to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for Kansas City’s Justin Houston.

“It was great to be able to play more and be more consistently on the football field,” said Lee, per Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas. “First of all I wish it would’ve turned into more wins for all of us, but it was nice to be out there and be able to play a lot the whole year. Hopefully it’s a building block to next year where I’ll play at a high level, be healthy, play 16 games hopefully and we’re back competing in the playoffs and for a championship.”

After missing all of 2014 with a torn ACL suffered in OTAs, Lee bounced back for 128 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception in 2015, and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 2, when he had 14 tackles and an interception in a 20-10 victory over the Eagles.